'I don't want this to happen to anyone else': assault victim comes forward

Thileban Nagarasa has come forward as an alleged assault victim of Michael Allard, the man who arrested Thursday after a five-hour standoff with police outside a house on Capitol Street.

Nagarasa, a third year electrical engineering student at the University of Windsor said last Thursday he went to buy an Apple Watch from Allard — responding to a post on Facebook Marketplace.

He took the bus from his home after agreeing on a time to meet, but ran late. Nagarasa said by the time he got there, Allard said he'd sold the watch, but had another one for sale.

Taking a look at the sale being offered, Nagarasa said the watch was locked to an Apple ID, so the conversation switched to the potential sale of a cell phone instead.

"It was he and me alone," said Nagarasa, who said he was at the door of Allard's house to look at the watch and phones.

At one point, Nagarasa said a deal was offered for the sale of a watch and a phone together, for about $400. He didn't have enough cash on him, but said he offered to go get more.

"This guy seems suspect," said Nagarasa about how he felt at the time. "The Apple IDs were not removed, I was very suspicious. I wanted to make sure and then come back with the money."

Nagarasa handed over the cash he had on hand, but said suddenly the conversation turned angry, and he asked for his money back when Allard allegedly asked him to leave.

"If you give me the money I'll just go," Nagarasa said he told Allard, who allegedely gave back the money "throwing, angry."

Then, as Nagarasa turned to leave, he said Allard called 'hey buddy' and, as Nagarasa turned back, "he just smashed me with a metal bar."

Nagarasa said he ran, bleeding, from the house and called 911.

"I was afraid I lost my eyes. I was scared as hell. I wanted an ambulance so fast, I didn't want to lose my eyes," said Nagarasa.

"While talking to police, they said go to the nearest house and stay there."

So Nagarasa knocked on a neighbour's door and handed the phone to a woman inside, who gave him an ice pack while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

"I was so scared," said Nagarasa.

'Trouble has found him in many ways'

Nagarasa found out from a friend, while he was in the emergency room, that police had Allard's house surrounded, so he said he did an Internet search for the name.

"Who am I dealing with?" Nagarasa said he wanted to know. "Assault, drugs, having guns, human trafficking. If he has this many assault [charges] why are the judges leaving him out? It's going to be dangerous to everyone."

Nagarasa said Allard's just going to "do it again and again," if he's not kept locked up. "If they don't do correct punishment, it's not going to stop."

Allard was previously arrested and convicted in the 2010 assault of Chris Rabideau in Windsor. At the time, he was given three years in jail, followed by 24 months of probation.

When CBC News reached Rabideau as the standoff Thursday was happening, he said he was "saddened."

"This person continues to be in troubled situations," said Rabideau. "The many scenarios that have happened seem to be happening. The question is what can we do?"

Rabideau said Allard needs help.

"I think it's sad," said Rabideau. "We need to do something to make sure he gets the support he needs to make his life better."

In 2013, Allard left a man in a coma after an assault. In 2015, Allard was sentenced for assault again, this time to three years in prison and in 2017, he was was sentenced to time served for a case of human trafficking.

"Trouble has found him in many ways," said Rabideau. "I feel like when this continues to happen, it's a wake up call for our city. Maybe people like this need more help than we thought."

Rabideau said that help for Allard might be more incarceration or it might be medical or mental health help, and that Thursday's assault and standoff seeing Allard in the news still shook him.

"It's a constant reminder, when other people become victimized. It's really sad."

According to Nagarasa, the justice system hasn't done its job in keeping someone dangerous off the street, but that next time he buys something from someone off the Internet, he'll meet them in a public place.

"I don't want this to happen to anyone else."